Bookbinding



Nov. 10, 1942. M, LlCHTER 2,301,422

BOOKBINDING. Filed Dec.' 19, 1939 2 Sheng-spent 1.

INVENTQR MALv/N LIGHTER.

Nov. 10, 1942. LlCHTER 2,301,422

- BOOKBINDING Filed Dec. 19, 1939 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 fig. Z I L--.

INVENTOR NAU/1N L/CHTER;

ATTORNEYS.

Patented Nov. 10, 1942 UNITED STATE PATENT OFFICE BOOKBINDING MalvinLichter, New Rochelle, N. Y. Application December 19, 1939, Serial No.309,979

7 Claims.

This invention relates to bookbinding and more particularly to a type ofbookbinding for notebooks, pads, record books, ledgers, advertisingfolders, as well as bindings for books containing printed matter whereinthe pages thereof may lie absolutely flat no matter what the position ofthe page within the book and with respect to other pages. w

Despite the fact that the pages of books bound by this novel method andmeans are allowed to lie flat, this lbinding is by no means intended tobe a temporary one or a make shift one, but is of a type which will beincorporated in any type of book whatever, no matter what the relativeimportance or expense thereof may be,

Where a iiat binding has been attempted, this has usually been by meansof various types of temporary bindings including rings or spirally woundcoils or other types of relatively loose bindings. The ordinary type ofstitched binding, by its very nature, precludes the possibility of thearrangement of the pages of a book so that they may lie fiat. Heretoforealso, many of the attempts to obtain any flat binding has been directedtowards the treatment of the pages of the book themselves and/or ofvarious means of attaching the pages themselves to the stitching orother binding such as stitching thread, glue or wire.

The present invention has, however, for its ob- 'Y ject, the provisionof a binding which will permit the pages of a book to lie iiat no matterwhat the position of the page within the book may be, said meansdepending upon an additional tape which is associated with not more thantwo adjacent pages, and which may be'unfolded to lie in a planesubstantially parallel to the two pages which it Connects. In thismanner, the pages of the book are connected so that only adjacent pagesare connected tc each other and so that no page of the book is in anyway connected to any other page of the book which is not adjacentthereto. A flat binding may readily be achieved.

A further object of this invention, therefore, is the use of a series oftapes or strips between adjacent pages of a book and the connection ofonly adjacent pages of the book to each other without connecting any ofthe pages of the book to any other page of the book which are notadjacent thereto.

Many other objects and uses of the present invention will in part beapparent and in part pointed out in the following description taken inconnection with the drawings, in which:

Figure l is a cross-sectional View taken on line I-l cf Figure 2 lookingin the direction of the arrow and showing one form of my inventioncomprising the arrangement of a series of tapes connecting only adjacentpages of a book together.

Figure 2 is a cross-sectional View partly in elevation taken from line 22 of Figure l looking in the direction of the arrows.

Figure 3 is a cross-sectional View taken on line 3-3 of Figure 1 andlooking in the direction of thearrows.

Figure 4 is a plan view of the first page of the book with the cover orouter binding removed.

Figure 5 is a plan view of a book bound in accordance with my invention,showing the same open ilat.

Figure 6 is an end view taken on line 6-5 of Figure 4 looking in thedirection of the arrows.

Figure 7 is a partial View in perspective of a book bound in accordancewith the elements of Figure 1.

Figure 8 illustrates a slightly modified formation of the constructionof Figure 6.

Figure 9 is a View in perspective of a modiiied type of bindingcomprising the same principles as set forth in connection with Figure 1.

Figure l0 is a cross-sectional view in perspective taken on line lill0of Figure 9 looking in the direction ofthe arrows.

Figure 11 is a cross-sectional view partly in elevation on line I I-H ofFigure 9.

Figure l2 is a plan view showing a book having the construction ofFigure 9 open flat.

Referring now to Figures 1 and 7, I have here shown a book 2i) havingpages 2l, 22, 23 and 24, and an cuter cover or binder 25-26--2l- Theouter cover or binder has been shown as comprising two outer rigid oriieXib-le sheets or plates 25 and 2l which may have any design orformation which may be suitable in connection with the particularbookbinding and having a flexible cover strip 26 connected therebetween.Where a cloth bound book is desired, the iiexible cover 2B along theback of a book may also be continued as an outer lamination of themembers 25 and 2l.

The pages 2l and 22 are connected by means of the tape 28 which isadhesively secured to the adjacent pages. The tape 23 thereforecomprises section 29 which is adhesively secured along the marginal rearend of page 22 as is also seen in Figure 2 and the section 30 of tape 28is adhesively secured along the marginal rear portion of page 2|. Y

A sufficient area 3l between the sections 29 and 30 of the tape 28 isleft between the rear edges of the pages 22 and 2l so that the pages mayreadily swing with respect to each other and further so that the pagesmay be rotated so that their rear edges may lie in abutment to eachother when they are laid flat. Page 22 is connected to page 23 by asimilar tape having exactly the same formation. Page 23 is connected topage 24 by an exactly similar tape 23 and all the other pages of thebock are similarly connected together.

It will thus be seen that none of the pages of the book are connected toany other pages thereof except the immediately adjacent pages. As amatter of fact, the end pages of the book 2i may be connected to thebinding in exactly the same manner, that is, by tapes 28, although othermeans of connection of the book itself to the covers may be used.

By this means, it will be seen that each of the pages of the book is soarranged with respect to adjacent pages that each of the pages may bearranged to lie flat, None of the tension which causes pages to risefrom the surface of the book or tend to turn towards other pages ispresent, since none of the pages are connected to pages remotely placedin the book. Nor are adjacent surfaces of the pages bound to each otherand so no fold line in the page is required in order to obtain a flatfolding.

Further, none of the pages emanate from a common base or binding or backwith remotely spaced pages in the I1pook; only adjacent pages have acommon connection. And further also, the common connection, as at 3i,may be sufficiently resilient or a sufficient space may be provided for,as seen for instance at 3io, permitting the pages to be hingedly rotatedwith respect to each other and so that the rear end of the pages mayabut without interfering with the placement of adjacent pages at anangle of 180 with respect to each other.

The ends of the tapes may be carried beyond the margins of the pages asseen for instance at 32 of Figure 8 or indentations, slots or cut outs33, Figures 1, 4 and 5, may be provided so that the ends of the tapesmay be brought together at the edges thereof.

When the book is open, as seen in Figure 5, n

the only element apparent to the user is the page 2i, the page 22, andthe binding tape 28 between them. The indentations 33 and the space 3|of the tape between the rear edges of the pages 2l and 22 are notvisible. By this means therefore, a simplified binding arrangement forthe pages of a notebook, blank book, record book, advertising folder orprinted book of any type whatever is readily provided. BY a suitableproportioning of the relative thickness of the tapes and the pages, thethickness of the book need not be appreciably increased.

It should be noted that each tape need merely be of sufficient strengthto hold in place any two particular pages so that the thickness of anyparticular piece of tape need not substantially increase the spacebetween adjacent pages (since the tapes may be rather thin) and so thatthe book may virtually have the same appearance as a book bound in anyother manner, except that the pages thereof may be laid flat at anyportion of the book for the purpose of making entries in or reading thesame.

However, in order to avoid any substantial increase of thickness byreason of the use of tapes between adjacent pages, I may resort to themodification shown in Figures 9-12 inclusive wherein complementarynotches 4t, 4l, 42, 43 and 44 may be placed in adjacent pages cf thebook, the notches being complementary to eX- tending tabs 45, 45, 41, 48and 49. With the notches of one page, for instance page 5e, beingcomplementary to the tabs of the adjacent page, for instance page 5I,any substantial increase in thickness of the book by reason of thePresence of the tapes 6i) between adjacent pages is avoided.

The tapes connect adjacent pages of the book in exactly the same manneras the tapes in Figure l and the tapes are constructed and operated inexactly the same mannery having for instance the space 3| between therear edges of adjacent pages to permit the pages to be laid absolutelyflat. But since, as seen also in Figures 10 and 11, adjacent tapes @Dand Gil are at tab 4S engaged with either side of page 5i while at notch43 the adjacent tapes Sil and SG are adhesively engaged with each otherthus forming a recess at notch 43 so that the portion of tape whichengages the tab 4E! of page 5B may be nested in the portion of the tape6i) which enters into and is recessed in the notch 43, then when thebook is closed there is absolutely no increase in thickness thereof.

In other words, while following the same principles as set forth inFigures 1-8 inclusive, the attaching or complementary tabs and notchespermit of an arrangement of the tapes in such a, manner that no increasein thickness of the book occurs.

The principal element and importance of the invention therefore residesin the fact that a securely bound book may be constructed whereinadjacent pages are directly attached one to the other and no page isattached directly to any page remote thereto.

Further, no fold lines or bends in the page are relied upon to createthe flatness when opened, but each page is hingedly mounted by means ofits own set of hinges in the book itself and all of the pages may be soarranged that they may be readily swung out of the plane of any twoconnected adjacent pages.

As has been pointed out, this invention is applicable to any type ofbock wherein the desire is that the pages remain fiat. Various othermeans and expedients may be used in connection with the pages. Thusadditional flexible long bindinfI strips may be inserted betweenremotely spaced tabs in the book in order to insure that the book may beheld together where that is necessary, but such connecting stripssh-ould be of sufficient length so as not to interfere with theoperation of the present invention and hence should be of a length ofthe order of the connecting strip 26. The use of such connecting stripswhere desired may make it possible to maintain the book in unitedcondition even though individual pages or individual portions of thebindings may be destroyed. Various other formations may readily becombined with a book bound in this manner.

Thus, the portions of the tabs projecting as at 32 of Figure 8 beyondthe edges of the pages may, where desired, be further reinforced so asto insure that the book remain in perfect condition and the same may bedone to those portions of the tabs extending into the notches 33 of, forinstance, Figures 2, 4 and 5. Instead of using an adhesive to secure thetabs together, the tapes may, in iine bindings, be stitched to adjacentpages and where that is possible and where the pages are of suicientstrength and rigidity, various types of cross stitching may be used inplace of tapes, that is, adjacent pages may be connected to each otherand not to remotely placed pages by means of ilexible stitchlng.

Many other objects and uses of the present invention will now beapparent to those skilled in the art, and I therefore prefer to belimited only by the appended claims.

I claim:

1. A book-binding for connecting pages of a book, said bindingcomprising a tape, a longitudinal portion of said tape being secured toa margin of one page, another longitudinal portion of said tape beingsecured to a similar margin of an adjacent page, said tape having aexible longitudinal area between said longitudinal portions, said tapesbeing extended longitudinally beyond the boundaries of the pages andsecured to adjacent tapes.

2. A book-binding for connecting pages of a book, said bindingcomprising a tape, a longitudinal portion of said tape being secured toa margin of one page, another longitudinal portion of said tape beingsecured to a similar margin of an adjacent page, said tape having aflexible longitudinal area between said longitudinal portions, andnotches at the corners of said margins of said pages, said tapes beingextended longitudinally into said notches and secured therein toadjacent tapes.

3. A book-binding for connecting pages of a book, said bindingcomprising a tape, a longitudinal portion of said tape being secured toa margin of one page, another longitudinal portion of said tape beingsecured to a, similar margin of an adjacent page, said tape having ai-lexible longitudinal area between said longitudinal portions, each ofthe adjacent pages of the book being similarly connected to each other,said margins of each of said pages having alternate notches and tabs,and tapes on either side of each page being depressed in the notches andengaging the tabs,

4. A book-binding for connecting pages of a book, said bindingcomprising a tape, a longitudinal portion of said tape being secured toa margin of one page, another longitudinal portion of said tape beingsecured to a similar margin of an adjacent page, said tape having aflexible 1ongitudinal area between said longitudinal portions, each ofthe adjacent pages of the book being similarly connected to eachother,sald margins of each of said pages having alternate notches andtabs, and tapes on either side of each page being depressed in thenotches and secured to each other thereat, and engaging the tabs.

5. A book-binding for connecting pages of a book, said bindingcomprising a tape, a longitudinal portion of said tape being secured toa margin of one page, another longitudinal portion of said tape beingsecured to a similar margin of an adjacent page, said tape having aflexible longitudinal area between said longitudinal portions, each ofthe adjacent pages of the book being similarly connected to each other,said margins of each of said pages having alternate notches and tabs,and tapes on either side of each page being depressed in the notches andengaging the tabs, the notches of each page registering with tabs ofadjacent pages.

6. A book-binding for connecting pages oi a book, said bindingcomprising a tape, a longitudinal portion of said tape being secured toa margin of one page, another longitudinal portion of said tape beingsecured to a similar margin of an adjacent page, said tape having aflexible longitudinal area between said longitudinal portions, each ofthe adjacent pages of the book being similarly connected to each other,said margins of each of said pages having alternate notches and tabs,and tapes on either side of each page being depressed in the notches andengaging the tabs, the notches of each page registering with tabs ofadjacent pages, the thickness of the tapes between the pages beingsubstantially less than that of the pages.

7. A book-binding for connecting pages of a book, said bindingcomprising a tape, a longitudinal portion of said tape being secured toa margin of one page, another longitudinal portion of said tape beingsecured to a similar margin of an adjacent page, said tape having ailexible longitudinal area between said longitudinal portions, each ofthe adjacent pages of the bookbeing similarly connected to each other,said margins of each of said pages having alternate notches and tabs,and tapes on either side of each page being depressed in the notches andengaging the tabs, the notches of each page registering with tabs ofadjacent pages, the thickness of the tapes between the pages beingsubstantially less than that of the pages, the portions of the tapes inthe notch-es forming pockets for receiving the adjacent tabs carryingthe tape for reducing the thickness of the book when closed tosubstantially that of the sum of the pages therein. A

MALVIN LIGHTER.

